Changing Paths
by Panny
Summary: A death in the family hits the Briefs family hard. COMPLETE
1. Returned Favors

Changing Paths -by Panny 

Chapter 1: Returned Favors

The wind ruffled smooth lilac hair as a pair of crystal blue eyes stared out into the water. The man ignored the children who ran about him, playing in the sand and splashing in the shallow tide. Normally he would have watched them with amusement but not today. Too many things had happened today. Those things' flew by in his mind over and over again. Fighting. Closed doors. Screaming. Tears.

Trunks' train of thought was broken as a hand slammed down hard on his back. "Hey Trunks! How ya doin?" Pan sat next to her friend and waited for his answer, but she got none. "Hey, I'm talking to you. Why aren't you answering? Is something wrong? Did something happen?". Trunks continued to stare into the distance, ignoring her queries. "Hey!" she yelled, "Why don't you talk to me?"

"He's dead." His voice was low, barely audible, but it still conveyed a deep pain. "What- who's dead Trunks?" Pan asked confused.

"Otousan"

"Oh Kami! How? What happened?" Pan exclaimed as she threw her arms around his shoulders to comfort him.

"I don't want to talk about it Pan-chan"

"I- I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. But you know you have to talk."

"No I don't!" Trunks turned to her then. His pain showed clearly on his face, and tears were swelling in his eyes. Pan's heart ached to see him like that, but it hurt even more to see the way he looked at her. As if she was his enemy, the one who caused his pain. "Yes. You do." She whispered coarsely, but he simply shook his head no'.

"Yes you do!" Pan yelled, startling Trunks. "Don't you remember when Jii-chan died, and I wouldn't talk to anyone. But you, you wouldn't let me do that. You made me talk, and even though I didn't want it, I was all the better for it. Now it's my turn to talk to you, and help you. To return the favor you gave to me. Please let me help you. Please" Pan's voice had turned to a whisper by the time she had finished. 

"Gomen ne Pan-chan" Trunks stood and began to walk away from her.

"Matte!" Pan ran up to Trunks and began to walk with him. "If you won't talk now I'll just have to walk with you until you will."

"I doubt there's enough ground for that" Trunks joked half-heartedly.

"We'll see."

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Trunks and Pan walked together for hours, neither saying anything until the two finally ended up at Capsule Corporation. Pan followed Trunks inside and followed him up to the second floor. "Say, where's your mom?" Trunks flinched as she spoke so Pan decided to drop the subject and stay quiet like she had been for nearly the entire day. 

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Trunks stopped in front of a navy blue door and glanced at Pan before opening it and entering the room. The girl stood outside the room for several minutes before she followed inside with her eyes closed.

"What the hell do you think your doing!" Trunks yelled as he quickly grabbed a towel to cover himself.

"I didn't look. I told you I wouldn't leave you alone though."

"So! Can't you bug me after I finish showering!"

"Nope. I'm gonna hang around you wherever you go, and if I need to go anywhere I'll drag you with me. You know I have to take a bath soon too so you better talk."

"Fine! Just wait outside and I'll talk when I'm done." Pan stood smiling and left the room.

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When Trunks had finished and come out he couldn't help blushing when he saw Pan. He couldn't figure out how she could have just walked in there and not have been affected. The small saiyan didn't allow him to dwell on those thoughts. She quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him to his room and sat him on his bed. "Now talk." She said firmly.

Trunks sat silently, not sure where to begin. "Fine then" Pan said, "just tell me what happened."

"Well" he began, "My mother and father were having another one of their usual fights. But they seemed to be really mad this time. Normally, they argue over small things, but today there was something seriously wrong. Finally my mom told my father to leave but he refused to. He was trying to calm her down. He really didn't want to fight but she refused to calm down so he said he was going to train. A few hours later my mom went to apologize and- and he was" Trunks swallowed hard before continuing.

"He was dead. He killed himself. He- he actually took his, his own life. Just cause of a few things my mother had said. I remember her screaming before running out of the house. After I saw him I couldn't do anything. My mom's father said he would take care of everything. So I left too, and that's when you found me." 

Tears were falling from his eyes now and Pan couldn't help from crying herself. She sat next to Trunks, pulling him into her arms. "I'm so sorry Trunks. It'll be okay. I promise" 

Pan did her best to comfort him, and the two sat together for several hours. 

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Trunks had long since fallen asleep when Bulma came into the room. She jumped when she saw Pan, and tensed even further when she saw her son sleeping there peacefully.

"What's going on?" she asked as she approached Pan. "Nothing Bulma-san. I'm sorry to hear about what happened."

'She doesn't look sad at all' Pan thought, but she was too tired to discuss it then. She would ask her later.

"Oh, so he told you about that?"

"Yes. That's why I'm here. Trunks needed to talk"

"I understand. Thank you for helping him. I doubt he'd talk to me right now. If you want you can sleep here tonight. It's pretty late."

"Arigato Bulma-san, but I really should get home. My parents don't know I'm here and they're probably worried."

"Alright dear." Bulma said smiling. "I'll call them and let them know you're on you way."

"Okay. Goodnight Bulma-san"

"Goodnight dear"

Pan left quietly and began to fly home. She would have a lot to explain when she got there.

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Yes, I know the whole Vegeta killing himself thing, is to say the least, odd and that he would never kill himself, especially not over an argument, but without that this story wouldn't be. I have nothing against Vegeta, in fact he's my third favorite character in the DB series. When I first started this story I actually didn't know why Trunks was upset. I left a blank space to fill in in a lot of spots, and then when I read over what I had written, Vegeta's death seemed to fit in well and the only way I could see him dying without bringing in a new enemy was if he killed himself so I'm Sorry.

There, I explained why I made it happen. Please don't flame me about it, okay?

Also I have to admit the first line of this is just like in Rayne's Unexpected Guest (a must read fic ^_~). I didn't mean for that to happen, it just did and I can't really fix it without changing the whole first paragraph which I don't want to do so I credit Rayne and hope she doesn't hate me now.

Panny


	2. Goodbye

Changing Paths –by Panny 

Chapter 2: Goodbye

After she had explained the day's events to her parents, Pan quickly retreated to her room for some much-needed sleep. It was already 4:00 a.m. and Pan had to meet her best friend in the morning.

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Bra drove cheerily towards the Son household. Suddenly a figure appeared in front of her jetflier. "Aaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!" Bra screamed as she swerved and jerked to a stop. "What the hell do you think you're doing Pan!"

Pan laughed nervously as she floated over and sat next to Bra. "Well, you seem happy enough" Pan said as she glanced sideways at Bra.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be?" Pan's brow furrowed slightly. "Well, y'know. About your father and all." Bra slowed to a stop. "Why would I be upset about Otousaan? Did something happen?"

Pan sat quietly for a moment before speaking. "You mean you don't know Bra?" she asked hesitantly. "He died, last night."

Bra sat frozen in her seat. She couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even cry. Then after several minutes she spoke. "Pa-papa? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Bra wailed as she clung to Pan for support. "NO! NOT PAPA, NOT MY PAPA! HE'S STRONG, HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO DIE!" 

She cried till she had no tears left and she collapsed in exhaustion. Pan carefully lifted her up and flew towards Capsule Corp.

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When Pan walked into the large building she was shocked by what she saw. Trunks and Bulma stood perfectly still, staring at each other intently. Pan quietly walked through the room and put Bra down on a nearby couch. She then sat and waited to see what was happening between Bulma and her son.

Trunks stared angrily at his mother. 'It's all her fault. He didn't want to fight but she wouldn't listen. All her fault, all her fault. And look at her now. She hasn't even been crying. She was probably waiting for this.'

The two had been there since early that morning. Trunks had tried to confront Bulma about her actions but somehow it had come to this. Both of them refused to back down and end their silent argument.

Bulma stood coolly, her eyes focused on her only son. 'What is wrong with this boy? How dare he try to blame me for this, he doesn't even know what happened, I don't even know. How can I be the one to blame. And now this is how he plans to settle things? A staring contest? This is ridiculous.'

Finally Bulma broke the spell which had held them there for so long. She calmly walked over to her son. She stared into his eyes as if she were going to say something, but instead she turned and stalked away angrily. Trunks finally allowed his body to relax, and he found his muscles were quite tense from standing for so long. He turned to sit down and finally noticed Pan and Bra. "Hey, Pan-chan, what happened to Bra-chan?" He glanced worriedly at her sister as he sat beside her.

"I just told her about your father." Pan answered. "She took it pretty badly so I had to take her home. Here" Trunks lifted his hand to take what Pan held. A capsule. 

"What is this?" he asked. "Bra's jetflier, I couldn't just leave it when I took her home, right?" Pan smiled at Trunks but he was unable to return the gesture. She doubted he would for some time. "I better leave." she said, lifting her body up from the sand.

Trunks jumped up to grab hold of Pan's arm before she left. 'What am I doing?' he thought to himself. Trunks quickly let go and apologized. "S-sorry. I just thought that umm maybe you should be here for Bra." Pan didn't quite believe what he was saying but she sat down anyway.

"Why did you tell her?" Trunks asked. "She should have found out from me, or Okasaan. You shouldn't have said anything."

"Gomen nassai. I thought she knew, and she seemed so happy, I wanted to know why. I thought that maybe something had happened. That he was okay."

"How could he be? It's not like we have dragonballs lying around anymore. He's dead! D-E-A-D, dead!" Trunks was glaring at Pan. He knew she didn't mean to upset him but it still hurt, and she was the only thing he could take it out on.

"Fine then! I'm leaving" Pan yelled, suddenly furious. She stomped angrily out of Capsule Corporation and flew away, unsure of where she was going.

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Bulma sat inside Vegeta's gravity room, thinking of the times she had spent with her husband. 'An alien. If someone had told be that's what I'd be married to I would have had them committed. So strange. He changed so much here. It's hard to believe someone can go from a murderous alien to a gentle husband and father in one lifetime.' 

Bulma thought back to the first time she slept with Vegeta, and how having a son had so little affect on him, but now, that had all changed. He began to spend more time at home. Trained their son, and gave his wife a life she had never imagined. A life she could never hope to improve. 

Slowly tears formed in her eyes. Tears she had painfully held back since the night before. "Never cry" Vegeta had always told her that, and she listened. She refused to cry for him when he had never wanted her to. But he was gone now, and she had to accept that. Bulma choked back her sobs to whisper two words, the saddest of her life.

"Goodbye Vegeta"

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	3. Sorry

Changing Paths 

Chapter 3: Sorry

"Nii-chan? Is it true what Pan said. Is he really gone?" Bra had just woken up and was hoping what she had just heard had been part of some nightmare, but when Trunks nodded solemnly her hopes crashed. "Nii-chan. How did he die?" she asked, her voice that of a child. Trunks swallowed hard before talking.

"I'll tell you later Bra. That's not what's important. You need rest. Go to bed."

"But-" Bra began but Trunks cut her off. "Just go." His voice was harder than he had intended it to be. "I have to talk to Pan." He stated quickly, then walked from the room as fast as he could.

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"Bra, is that you?" Bulma called as she heard her daughter walking through the hall. Bra quietly let herself into her parent's room and sat on the bed beside her mother. Bulma pulled the girl tightly against her.

"Okasaan, can you please tell me?"

"Tell you what dear?" Bulma asked, stroking the top of Bra's head with her palm. "How tousaan died." She answered. Bulma sighed. "You know what honey. I don't think you want the answer to that. It's making this ordeal even harder for myself and your brother and I don't think you want to take part in this extra suffering."

Bra nodded and placed her arms around her mother. Tears slowly welled up in her eyes, then rushed out onto Bulma's shoulder. Bulma whispered comforting things to her daughter, not really sure of what to say. This was something that had never occurred before. Vegeta had died before, but back then they had dragonballs, and she had no daughter to console. Bra stifled her cries and pulled back from her mother.

"Are you alright Okasaan? You knew Daddy for a lot longer than me but you're not crying. Why is that?" Bulma closed her eyes, knowing full well what Bra's comment suggested.

"You know I loved your otousaan, more than any other man in my life. And it does hurt to be without him now, but there are certain things I still have to do for him. Tears may not fall from my eyes, but that doesn't mean I'm not crying inside. I will miss Vegeta for the rest of my life, and there will always be an open place in my heart for him, even if that doesn't show. Do you understand?"

Bulma had tried her best to remain calm as she said this, but her voice betrayed her. Bra could tell she was telling the truth, and that she was probably hurting more than she let on. Bra nodded smiling and hugged her mother. "I love you kasaan." She whispered. Bulma smiled and hugged the girl back. "I love you too."

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Trunks sighed and lowered himself to the ground. Too many emotions were running through his body and he found it that much harder to concentrate on finding Pan. For some reason he felt terrible for what he had done and knew he had to do something to make up for it. That's why he had been flying around for hours, and why he was now standing there, the cold night air chilling him through the thin T-shirt he wore. He cursed himself and flopped down on a nearby bench.

'What am I doing thinking about Pan? My tousaan just died and I'm flying around the city like a maniac. Kuso. Why'd she have to leave anyway? She should know I'd never try to hurt her. She's trying so hard to help me and I yell at her for no reason. Shimata! There I go, thinking about her again. Why can't I just get her out of my mind?'

"Trunks?"

'Great, just great. Now I'm hearing her voice.'

"Trunks!"

Trunks opened his eyes in surprise. "Pan?" he asked. "Gomen, I guess I didn't hear you." Pan smiled and sat next to him. She opened her mouth to speak but the look he gave her warned her not to. 

"I have to apologize for what I did earlier." He said, nervous for some unknown reason. "I know you didn't mean to upset me, and that you're only trying to help, it just, there's too much happening now and I couldn't take it. This apology might not mean anything to you but I just had to get it off my chest. Sorry to bring this up so suddenly like this." 

Trunks sighed slightly, sensing there was something else to say, and that the words just wouldn't come out. After a minute or two of racking his brain he shook his head admitting defeat.

Pan watched him curiously. She knew there was something else. Something he was holding back but she knew it would be better not to say anything. She placed her hand comfortingly on Trunks shoulder and was surprised as he moved to take her it into his own.

"Arigato Pan-chan." He said, leaning slightly closer to her. "You really did help me a lot, just like you said you would. I owe you for that."

Pan shook her head. "No." she said. "Now we're even. You helped me when Jii-chan died, so I'm helping you now." Trunks flinched slightly. "Is that why you helped?" he asked, his voice pained. 

A small pain swelled in Pan's stomach when she heard his voice. She couldn't find what to say. 

"I see." Trunks said harshly and stood to leave. Pan stood up and threw her arms around him. Realizing what she had done she moved to pull back but Trunks turned and grabbed onto her before she could. He quickly drew her into his arms, resting his chin atop her head.

"Trunks?" Pan said, her voice muffled by his clothing. "What are you doing?" Trunks tightened his grip on Pan, taking in everything about her. Her voice, her smell, the warmth or her body against his own. He placed his finger beneath her chin, lifting her face towards his own.

"Trunks?" Pan whispered slightly before her mouth was covered by his. She stood stiffly for a moment then slowly succumbed to her body's urges and returned the kiss. He didn't pull away till he was forced to by lack of air. He gasped slightly then looked towards Pan, the color rising in his cheeks.

His lips parted and Pan thought that perhaps he would kiss her again, but instead he spoke in a hushed whisper. "Gomen nassai." Then he flew into the night sky. Pan stood there, frozen as mixed feelings rushed through her mind and a sharp wind sent a chill through her body. She wondered as to whether she should find Trunks, but she feared the discomfort she'd find with him. Turning to walk home her fingers reached to her lips and found a lingering smile.

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Well that's it. I know it's a little short but I just can't continue the story from here. I had written three more chapters, but they were really bad. The next part would be some sort of funeral for Vegeta but I couldn't write that well at all. I rushed through it and what I did do was just awful. Maybe somebody else would finish the story but for me it ends here.

If you do want to continue this story, please write me first okay?

Panny


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